Anything you like better about the G1 over the G2 Prius?

Hi Doug,

No. But the old fluid did not look that bad, compared to normal cars where the brake fluid turns dark or black after about one year.

 

I'm pretty sure that Prius brake fluid has less thermal excursions than that in friction -only vehicles. The stuff is supposed to be quite thermally stable, but I have also seen DOT 3 take on color in other vehicles. Eventually it has to absorb water (even in Prius), but it's still uncertain how long this can take. Shorter time in more humid climates is a safe bet. not quantitative though, in the way we might crave.

I thought it quite strange that original DOT3 in a 2001 Prius w/100k miles after 6 years still had that new 'straw' color and less than 1%water. Always looking for more data points.

 

I'd like to see photos of your leather interior, if you were to feel like sharing.

 

Better getaway car.

 

I think the stereo sound is better. I like that it has a tape deck. Better visibility as said before. I hate the body style though because I'm partial to hatchbacks.

 

Hi Rick,

I am not aware that a "lifetime" warranty exists on the steering gear. I've attached the LSC and SSC that I know of (see attached). If you have other evidence to the contrary please post.

Regarding the HCAC, this is a common failure point for owners living in places where road salt is applied. My 2001 was operated only in Honolulu and southern CA. Nevertheless, it was beginning to fail, evidenced by a small squeak upon startup. I tried lubricating the valve and that worked for a while, but after the grease burnt off the noise continued.

 

the g2 seems boring compared to the g1,
the g2 feels more computer driven than my g1.
the g2 is just really boring

 

- The interior
- The exterior

I guess that's pretty much the whole car, eh?

 

I would Definately go with the fact that the 1st gen looks like a car compared to the second gen. My mom gave me hers as my first car (2001) and we also have an 04. No offense to gen 2 owners, i mean they do get better gas mileage and have more space, but they look very odd and overly flamboyant for my tastes. Also, the gen 1 drives more like a real car, it has a "real" key and you don't need to have your foot on the brakes to start. Lastly, the 2nd gen is so common these days that its hard to stand out if your driving one. I just wish that they made more custom parts for the prius, i cant upgrade my audio, or install a plug-in system/ solar panels. W/e im hoping that this car lasts me through college, considering its free and gets me like 50 mpg even tho my friends say i drive like an old person, i cant really complain.

 

Does gen 2 really get noticeably/statistically significant better fuel economy? I'm getting 52 mpg over my month of driving an 80,000 mile 2001. Gen 2s get better?

 

I have a 2001 and 2007. Everything being equal, you should see about a 4 to 5 mpg improvement in the G2. But note that everything is not equal in real life. The G2 has bigger tires, longer wheelbase, and is a little smoother at high speed, so you can lose those extra mpgs quick.

 

Nice-looking wheels sans trim rings. -Chap

 

We have a G!1 and a G2 touring
Steering is more "fun" in a G1. Not as flat as the G2 but I like the bigger stearing wheel.
Visibility way better!
I think the G1 is faster off the line than G2 (feels that way)

Best of all, no traction control. I hate traction control!

 

Actually, it does have traction-control. That older version simply isn't as aggressive. I've played with both in deep snow on many occassions.

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I miss the trunk of the G1... kinda:

PRO: You can store more junk in the G1 trunk
CON: You can store more junk in the G1 trunk

With the G2, I subliminally feel the need to keep the cargo area clean, and the storage compartment under the cargo area is pretty small. Whereas with the G1, I tended to keep tons of junk in the trunk. Of course, that's vastly offset by the fold-down seats for hauling equipment.

I miss the "club" mentality of G1 owners. When I got a 2002, there were very few Priuses on the road, and when you saw one, it was customary to nod or wave at each other. Then 2004 came and it seems everyone and their mother bought one. The "club" continued for G1 owners because, well, there were still few G1s on the road.

Not necessarily related to the G2, but I miss that one time I took my 02 up to the desert, hit the gas, and watched the speedometer climb up and reach 119MPH before the computer just stopped accepting input from the gas pedal. I liked how the car just comfortably cruised at 119MPH, rather than red-lining. (What is the rev limit of the G2? I'm not as stupid as I was back then, so I would never consider doing that any more...)

I like the feel of braking better on the G1. With the G2, there's this "dead zone" at about 7MPH where the brakes lose a bit of power. I assume this is the regenerative braking turning itself off. The G1's braking acceleration is nice and smooth.

The turning radius was much tighter on the G1. The G2 is decent, but nowhere near as tight as the G1. I could flip U-turns like you wouldn't believe.

 

I like visibility, I think it is a plus. Also I like a quick move off the line from a start.

 

i like the fact that it has no center console. despite being a small car, it makes it much easier to fit in for a tall guy like me. i can stretch my knees out a little better. this is why we got rid of our 99 camry in the first place.

 

The box betwene the seats of the G1 is completely removable. Don't know if this is true of the G2; not really a big issue except for the tall people as above.

The G1 braking system was the end of fully user-serviceable. I know the improvements that came later added efficiency, but the G2 is now THHT-serviceable only. So in some ways I expect that tinkerers might prefer the G1. Perhaps that's just another way to say I felt I understood the G1, which is a comfy feeling.

 

I am an alternative energy researcher. So when asked which hybrid I wanted for a test vehicle, I had to really do a lot of research into the pros and cons of not only manufacturer, but models and sub-models

For pros, the Toyota 2003 G1 Prius had a couple of very important (to me) reasons, listed in order.

1. The most important factor was the type of hybrid drive system. Toyota hybrids use an excellent hybrid drive design, one that is capable of starting out strong on electric only. Unlike Honda, which has a big delay as the engine to starts up prior to moving.

2. The G1 Prius has a trunk, one that is cross-ventilated due to the battery cooling system. A ventilated space for mounting hydrogen fuel systems and/or PHEV batteries, and is well isolated from the passenger compartment by the rear seat back.

3. The G1 has the highest stock power (KW/Hr) capacity in batteries, as compared to the G2. Low cost salvage G1 batteries are available, as replacements, or for adding additional battery capacity. NiMH has less issues and cost as compared to lithium ion battery technologies.

4. The G1 drive feel is more "normal" than any of the G2 that I test drove. Very important when others will be required to test drive a finished alternative energy powered vehicle.

5. Stealth. The G1 is not widely recognized as a hybrid. This helps to get rid of pre-conceived notions that hybrids are somehow less desirable to get in and drive. Those that have gone for a demonstration drive or ride, were very suprised to find out afterwards that it was actually a Prius hybrid.

6. I am a big guy, and I was much more comfortable getting in and out of the G1 without banging my head, as compared to the G2. The G1 seating was also more comfortable for me once inside.

For cons, the hardest thing to get used to was not having access to a large knowledge base of modifications or enhancements for the G1. Nor were there current sources of good aftermarket add-ons from vendors that actually have product to ship. Sure, there are a few pioneers out there, who work very hard to generate a lot of good information and test data, like Patrick Wong and Bob Wilson. But there is nowhere near the experimenter base for the G1, like there is for the G2. Us G1 owners are pretty much on our own for the most part when it comes to doing anything "extreme". We are told that the G1 is not capable of PHEV (which is not true), and is not worth modifying since it is essentially "obsolete" as compared to the G2. This meant that I had to do a lot of hardware hacking in order to learn to interface my alternative energy systems to the G1.

All in all, I am very happy with both of my G1s. My stock G1 is now in storage with the batteries being maintained until I am ready to modify it. My already modified G1 is my daily driver. It still has the original battery pack (with almost 158K miles), as well as additional alternative energy systems that boost performance and economy. I can drive it like a sports car and still get over 45 MPG without plugging in. I can drive it like a G2 Prius and get well over 60 MPG without plugging in. Or I can drive it as a PHEV and get well over 100 MPG by plugging in overnight and while at the office.

Bob Boyce